MagicStarwipe wrote:KingRobb02 wrote:MagicStarwipe wrote:
I won't get into the Blake thing, but Ibaka missed 18 games that season, Russ missed 15 and they still won 45 games. You make it sound worse than it was.
Ibaka missed games at the end of the season when they were pretty much giving up any way, and then they went on to immediately win 6 out of 7 and get back into the playoff picture without him. With Ibaka they were 35-29 which equates to a 45 win team. That's a far cry from Ibaka+CP+Deandre is a Finals team.
At the beginning of the season though a lot of those games they were playing with no Westbrook or Durant. Obviously Blake is a better overall player than Ibaka, but you seem to be understating Ibaka's worth as a player just to make a point. I mean... I think it's pretty clear that had Ibaka and Westbrook played closer to 82 games they would have made the playoffs even in the tough West. They almost did with 45 wins which is nothing to sneeze at.
I'm not understating ibaka at all. Just saying he isn't the same people here think he is. If 68 games of Anthony Davis can get the Pelicans into the playoff that same year and we assume Davis and 67 games of Russ Westbrook are of roughly equal value, either the Pelicans have a better coach (they didn't), an easier schedule (nope), or just that Davis had a better supporting cast (probably). That tells me something about Ibaka if he+Adams+ Reggie/Kanter can't outplay Eric Gordon+ Quincy Poindexter+hobbled tyreke